Eco-disasters: What Happened and How to Prevent Them

This book consists of 7 parts covering 42 representative environmental disasters. Part 1 introduces representative disasters in Europe, America, and Asia in the 19th century. Part 2 covers disasters related to the atmosphere. Part 3 deals with disasters caused by water and food affected by heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and pathogenic microorganisms. Part 4 examines poisoned environment caused by toxic pollutants and oil spills. Part 5 introduces nuclear power plant accidents and industrial chemical leaks. Part 6 deals with disasters occurring in the modern living environment, such as indoor air, radon, and electromagnetic radiation, and Part 7 presents cross-border disputes and planetary-wide concerns. Furthermore, this book introduces nearly all disasters that have occurred to date by adding and grouping them into similar cases alongside representative environmental disasters of each type. For example, disasters like the Exxon Valdez oil spill are detailed in parallel with similar disasters such as the Amoco Cadiz oil spill. Similarly, industrial air pollution disasters like the Meuse Valley disaster are described within the context of events like the Donora disaster.

The English translation of this book, originally in Korean, was facilitated by artificial intelligence. The content was later revised by the author for accuracy.